After the bad weather in Italy, we had a warm spring day in Paris.

“If I bore you, feel free to leave me alone. I promise not to go anywhere anytime soon.”

We were in a small park, and I kept myself entertained with my sketchpad. Drew sat next to me, eyes everywhere.

“I love my job,” he muttered.

“Fine! But at least relax.”

Drew sighed loudly, pulling his phone out. He had checked that thing a million times since early morning.

I focused once again on my sketch of the landscape. The whole city was filled with art and history which inspired me so much I had to buy a sketchpad and several charcoal pens.

“Okay, I hate to interfere, but we have to go.” Drew stood, smoothing his dark sweater. It was the first day since we had started the trip that I saw him not wearing something casual.

“Aw, but I’m almost done. Go buy a coffee, or something.” I squinted up at him through the sun.

“I have to get you back to the hotel, before I go to the airport.”

I abandoned my sketchpad on the bench and stood up. “Is Brian sending you home?” I tried not to show how panicked I was.

He eyed me amused. “Emmett lands around six. If we leave now, I’ll make it to him in time.”

I checked my phone to see it was a little after four. “The hotel is not that far…”

“Absolutely not.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

“Look, I bet Brian doesn’t have the whole team on his ass. Call someone to replace you.”

Drew snorted. “I can’t believe you, Justin.” Thankfully, he called one of his colleagues.

I tried to get back in the right mindset to finish my sketch, but Drew was hovering and pacing like a caged lion. The replacement arrived, and after Drew instructed him not to take his eyes off me because I was slippery, he left.

I had no idea I could blush so badly. I wanted to strangle Drew for his out of place commentary. So what if I had tried ditching him several times during the day, but he wasn’t interested or didn’t allow me to go wherever I wanted.

An idea came to me. This guy wasn’t as paranoid as Drew. 

“Hey! Think La Conciergerie is still open?” I caught the guy’s eye.

“Let me check.” After a scroll through his phone, he nodded.

“Cool! Let’s go!”

We weren’t very far, so we walked there. I found out his name was Matt and he had served in Iraq for several years before he returned home. Hearing his stories from war was like a prequel for visiting the medieval fortress. I had no idea such stories could spook me, but when we left and I noticed dusk had settled upon the streets, I shivered.

Matt graciously offered me his suit jacket. I wanted to decline it, but I chose to accept it since the spring night was cool.

“Do you want me to call someone to pick us up, or would you like to use public transport?” Matt asked.

I chewed on my lip. This was my only opportunity to see the cemetery where many artists have been buried. It had been on my bucket list since I found out it existed.

“There’s something else I want to see,” I said firmly.

“I’m afraid most of the museums have closed for the day.”

“This place never closes,” I explained. “I’m talking about the Père Lachaise Cemetery.”

Matt actually smiled, and I was sure he would start laughing at me. “Let me find the fastest route there.”

On our way there, he explained that he had wanted to see it for years, but being part of Brian’s detail, he never had the opportunity to explore the city in his previous visits.

“You should thank Drew for calling you to replace him,” I joked.

“I might as well.” Matt grinned.

The alleys in the cemetery were dimly lit, and it gave the whole experience an eerie feeling. We spent a few moments in silence in front of most of the graves, discussing their habitats’ music.

As we were walking to the exit, Matt’s phone rang. “Ben,” he answered promptly. “I have him right here with me. What’s the problem?”

I could hear Ben’s agitated voice, but I couldn’t make out the words.

“Everything is under control—Uh, fine. We’re at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.” Matt stopped me right outside the cemetery.  “Yes, I know how to get there. Okay.”

“Let me guess, someone lost me,” I laughed.

“Drew texted Ben that I replaced him as your detail and that we were headed to the hotel.”

“Oh.” I gasped.

“Yes. I can imagine anyone would have been worried knowing that piece of information. Come on. We have about ten minutes to walk to our rendez-vous.”

“Pardon my French.” I laughed again. It was probably my last laugh before I faced an angry Brian.

“That’s what we call the meeting point in military talk.”

“Oh, I see.”

When we reached the spot, Brian’s Caddy was parked there. Ben was leaning against the hood, arms crossed across his chest. He looked as intimidating as ever.

“If it isn’t Big and Bulky,” I cried out.

Ben threw me a sharp look. “Wait right here,” he told Matt, before grabbing my elbow.

“Hey! I thought Brian told you repeatedly to stop manhandling me.”

“What happened to going straight to the hotel?” he snapped.

“Drew wanted to get me back to the hotel so he could go after Emmett. When Matt replaced him, I could continue exploring the city.” I shrugged. “Where are we going?” I asked, apprehensively.

We were headed toward the river.

“I’m going to drown you,” Ben muttered.

“What?” I shouted, stopping abruptly.

He dragged me toward the shore. He was too strong, and I was starting to freak out.

Then I saw a cruise boat. I didn’t need to see inside to know Brian had rented it for us.

“You oaf!” I punched Ben’ shoulder, regretting it the next second. My wrist hurt like hell. “Never joke again.”

“Duly noted. Now, step inside. You’ll be safe.”

I didn’t feel safe at all when the ship rocked on the water. As I walked into a room decorated with several tables and chairs, I could feel we were moving.

Brian was seated at such a table, sipping from a glass.

I tried to gauge his mood, but he had the best poker face in the world.

“Hey,” I whispered, leaning down to kiss his cheek, before I took a seat opposite him.

A waiter appeared from the shadows asking what would I drink. I chose vodka. I was going to need all the courage to face this stoic Brian.

“Never scare me like today,” Brian said gravely once we were alone.

“Scare you? How did I scare you?”

“Drew told Ben you’d be in our room, when you weren’t there and Drew didn’t have an answer for that, I thought of the worst.”

“That I decided to run away with a Parisian guy.” I rolled my eyes.

Brian's jaw clenched, his hard eyes glaring out the window. “I didn’t want to tell you.” He caught my eyes in an intense stare. “The press is doing their best to find out who’s the blond man that jumped into my car in Rome. I was informed today that they believe the blond man is close to me somehow because one of my best security men is with him all the time.”

I was aware I should breathe, but I couldn’t locate my lungs. My heart was in my throat. “Holy hell,” I choked out.

“Yeah, so you see…I thought you were discovered.”

“Fuck.” I reached across the table and linked our fingers. “I finished my tour of the city with Matt.” I wet my lips. “Does the press know Matt? I won’t mind keeping him.”

Brian squeezed my fingers. “That’s a good idea. Though, you won’t need him until our next stop. Tomorrow you’re all mine.”

“You still want to go through with whatever you have planned? After everything?”

“I can’t say I’m thrilled teetering on the edge of being thrown out of the closet, but I won’t allow the press or anyone else to stay in between our happiness.” He downed his glass, smiling. “I didn’t close the Eiffel Tour for two hours at sunset for nothing.”

My eyes widened. “You didn’t,” I gasped. At his indulgent smile growing, I rolled my eyes. “Of course you did.”

“Anything for my Painter Boy.”

I emptied my glass of vodka. Brian was never a romantic, and I had no idea what to do with this new version of him.

“So how was your meeting with…what is his name?” Politics was not my thing.

Brian laughed. “You know I consider all my meetings boring. You better tell me about your day. I hear you saw quite a few attractions.”

I nodded. As I delved into how Drew skipped the line to the Louvre, the waiter brought us food. Brian must have already ordered.

I kept talking as we ate. The wine paired with the duck made me lightheaded. I refused to admit that I might be slightly drunk.

Brian topped our glasses, before he pulled me outside on the deck. Or whatever it was called.

The fresh air made me realize we were visible to the people walking along Sienna. I was suddenly on alert, looking around like a hawk.

“I ditched the security for a reason. Don’t take their job,” Brian said amused.

He propped against the wall separating us from the room we had been in. I leaned against the railing, wine glass in my hand.

“Sadly, we can’t ever do normal stuff,” I reminded him.

“This is normal enough.”

“How much did you pay that guy for secrecy?”

Brian huffed. “He’ll talk. Not tonight, maybe not tomorrow, but by the end of the week all his friends will know he waited on America’s President.”

“And his lover.” He avoided eye-contact. I wasn’t ready to label us.

“He doesn’t have to know who you are to me.”

“We haven’t been subtle, Brian.”

“Stop worrying. Besides, no one can see us here. Right now.”

“Is that so?” I stepped closer, into his personal space, pressing my chest to his. Then we were kissing, and I forgot his job title or the semi-public spot we were in. It was just the two of us in the world in that moment.

“I can’t wait to show you Paris from above tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait to experience that with you.”

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” Brian raised a brow.

“I trust you to hold my hand if I freak out,” I joked.